This invention relates to an arrow for dispersing olfactant. More specifically, this invention relates to an arrow which can be fired from a bow without dispersing olfactant contained within the arrow, but which disperses the olfactant when it reaches its target.
Many people hunt game, especially deer, using bows and arrows, and many states have special bow hunting seasons, when hunting is permitted using bows and arrows but not firearms. Obviously the range of a bow is much shorter than that of a firearm, and in practice, to have a good chance of inflicting a fatal wound with an arrow, a hunter needs to be within about 25 yards from a deer. Given deer's keen senses of smell and sight, including keen night vision, in practice the bow hunter must remain concealed within a hide in a tree until the deer approaches. To attract deer close to the hide, it is normal to spread an olfactant (usually called "deer scent" and hereinafter sometimes abbreviated simply as "scent") at the location at which the concealed hunter has a good shot. Unfortunately, spreading the scent is not without problems. Deer hunting is usually effected around dawn, a time of day at which deer are most active. Thus, the hunter needs to spread the scent while it is still dark in order that he can return to the hide and allow a sufficient time to pass for the deer to follow the scent to the target area. Since deer hunting is typically carried out in a forest, where tree roots are everywhere, it is easy for the hunter to trip over roots or other obstacles while spreading the scent, and thus either injure himself or at least make enough noise to frighten the timid deer away for a substantial period.
It has already been realized by hunters that, rather than the hunter descending to the ground and spreading the scent manually, it would be advantageous if the hunter could remain within the hide and spread the scent by firing an arrow into the target area. However, previous attempts to disperse scent by means of an arrow have suffered from serious problems. Typically, a rag or other absorbent for the scent has simply been tied to the arrow, and the scent manually applied to the absorbent. It is not easy for a hunter to apply the scent to the absorbent without putting scent on his hands. Also, when such an absorbent-carrying arrow is fired, much of the scent is dispersed from the absorbent under the sudden acceleration applied by the bow, and part of this dispersed scent may end up on the bow and/or the hunter. Further dispersion of the scent takes place during the rapid flight of the arrow through the air, and if there is any breeze, the scent dispersed into the air may be carried a considerable distance, with the result that deer, detected the scent thus scattered, may be attracted to a location well out of arrow range of the bide. Also, it is extremely undesirable for the hunter to get scent on himself or his clothes or equipment, since upon leaving the hide the unfortunate hunter is liable to be tracked by deer noticing his scent, and the deer may attack the hunter when the deer discovers that the hunter is in fact not the potential mate or potential rival that the deer assumed from the hunter's smell.
Thus, there is a need for an arrow which can contain scent and can be fired from a bow without dispersion of this scent, but which releases the scent in a controlled manner when the arrow strikes its target. This invention provides such an, arrow.